Automatic safety appliance for railroards.



No'. 730,219.` PATENTED JUNE 9,'1903.

y J. 'BARDSLEEL l AUTOMATIC SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED un. 11, `1903.

no nonni..

nur-nn STATES Patented June 9, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE'.

JOSEPH BARDSLEY, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 730,219, dated June 9, 1903. Application filed February ll, 1903.` Serial 110.142,831. (No model.)

lo LZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BARDSLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex and State ot' New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety Appliances for Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in automatic safety appliances for railroads, and has special reference to sign al mechanism, my invention comprising means whereby if an engineer should fail to observe and regard the danger-signal the brakes may be automatically applied and the cars brought to a stop.

In accordance With my invention I preferably connect with the danger-signal glass or pane a movable arm and provide the locomotive with means normally in the path of said arm when-the dan ger-signal is set adapted to contact therewith should the engine pass by the signal and effect the application of the brakes.

trating the danger-signal as having been set and the said arm turned to its operative position, Fig. 2 also illustrating a portion of a locomotive equipped with a lever carried in the path of said projecting arm. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side-view, partly broken away, of the cab and lever carried thereby, with a checking-cylinder shown in section for controlling the speed of an operating-rod by which the brake -valve mechanism may be operated, Fig. 3 illustrating the parts in their normal at rest position. Fig. 4 is a like view of a portion of same, illustrating the lever carried by the cab as having been tripped to set the valve- 4operating mechanism in motion. Fig. 5 is a detached front elevation of a portion of the cab and illustrating the lever carried thereby in its operative position, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings,10 designates the usual post or standard of a semaphore, upon ywhich is mounted the usual light-casing 11 and the usual pivoted arm 12, carrying a pane of glass 413, adapted when in linewith the casingll to display a danger-signal.

Upon vthe post 10 I mount a movable arm 14 and connect this arm by means of a link 15 with the frame of the pane 13. I/Vhen the pane 13 is in its upper position, the arm lt will be in the position represented in Fig. l and perform no fu notion; but when the pane 13 is in line with the casing 11, as shown in Fig. 2, the arm 14 will be projected laterally toward the track and assume a position in line with a movable part carried by the cab of the locomotive, so as to contact with and operate the same in case the engineer should fail to observe or disregard the signal. In the present instance I equip one edge of the cab 16 with a pivoted lever 17, adapted to eX- vtend upwardly, as 'shown-in' Figs. 2, 3, and

5, inthe path of the arm 14 when the latter is in its lower position. The lever 17 vis pivotally secured to a bracket 18 andisprovided with a section 19, adapted when the lever 17 is in a vertical position to extend downwardly and by means of a tooth 2O engage a notch in the upper end of a vertically-movable rod 21 and lock the latter in its upper position, as shown in Fig. 3. Upon the contact of the lever 17 with the arm 14: of the signal apparatus the said lever Will be turned over upon the top of the cap 16, as shown in Fig. 4, and the section 19 thereof will be tripped from the rod 21 and permit the latter to descendr The movement of the rod 21 is utilized for actuating lthe mechanism by which the brake-valve may be -turned to effect the application of the brakes, and `in the present instance I connect the rod 21 by means Of `a link 22 with one arm of a bellcrank lever 23, the other armv of the lever having pivotally connected with it a rod 24, by which the brake-valve or the valve in the brake system may be operated, said valve not being illustrated herein, since it is of' usual form and construction and may be disposed at any convenient point in the brake VTOO system. Then the tripping member 17 is in its vertical or operative position,it supports the rod 2l, and when the member contacts with the arm ll and is turned over upon the eab it releases the rod 21, and the latter being then lel't unsupported will descend and impart motion to the mechanism for operatin the brakesvalve. It is desirable that in ease ot' air-brake systems the exhaust-valve should not be too suddenly opened, and hence I provide means Yfor regulating and controlling the descent of the rod 2l, and consequently the movement of the valve-operating mechanism. In Fig. Si I illustrate the lower end of the rod 2l as carrying a piston 25 within a checking-cylinder 20, having a controlled by-pass 27 for the passage of the liquid to be placed within said cylinder from one side to the other ol' the piston The piston 25 has a loose connection with the rod 2l, the lower end ol' said rod beingadapted to slide through said piston to a limited extent without regard to the movement of the piston. The piston is confined on the lower end of the rod 2l between a nut 2S and a shoulder 29, and that portion of the lower end of the rod 2l intermediate the nut 2S and shoulder 2f) is adapted to pass freely through an aperture in the ctmtcr of the piston 25. \Vhen the tripping member 17 strikes the rod 14 and is caused to release and leave unsupported the rod 2l, the latter may quickly descend until the shoulder 2f) strikes the upper surl'aee ol the piston 25, and then the rod 2l will continue its descent more slowly because of the l'aet that the piston 25 will retard the movement ol said rod, said piston 25 being cheeked. in its movement by the liquid below the same within the cylinder 26, which liquid upon the descent ol the piston will be compelled to escape upwardly through the restricted byspass 27. During the lirst or substantiallyunrestrained part of the descending movement of the rod 21 the valve li'or applying the brakes will be partly opened, and during the continued movement ol the rod 2l under the restraint of the checking liquid the said `valve will be iully opened.

I do not limit the invention in every instance to thespeeial tripping member 17 nor to the employment ol the checking-cylinder 2U, but I regard the employment of said trip ping member and said cylinder in the l'orm presented as furnishing a desirable means to be carried by a locomotive or car Yfor coperation with the arm 14:, mounted upon the post lO and connected with the semaphore.

The arm 1l projectslaterally from the post lO when the signal is set to indicate danger, and this arm being mounted upon the post lO at a considerable elevation from the ground may always be relied upon, since it out oi' the way of meddlers and not likely to be deranged or rendered inoperative by contact with any stone or other object, which were the arm near the track-rails might be thrown against it by the moving train. By

reason. of the fact that the arm 1li does project laterally said arm affords an extended contact-surface for the tripping member 17. Cars and locomotive-cabs vary in width, and my purpose in having the laterally-projeeting arm 14 is that said arm when in its lower position will be in the path of the tripping member 17, whether the cab or car carrying said member be wide or narrow.

In the employment of the invention the tripping member 17 will normally stand in position in which it is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that in the event that the engineer li'or any cause should fail to see or regard a signal set to indicate danger the said member 17 will assuredly strike the arm let and be turned over upon the cab, thereby releasing the rod 21 and permitting the latter to descend and set in motion the mechanism 'for applying the brakes to bring vthe train to a stop.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In signal mechanism havin the movable semaphore, a movable part connected with said semaphore and adapted to project when the signal is set to indicate danger, combined with a part projecting il'rom a locomotive or carin the path of said movable part when in its operative position, mechanism whereby when the said two parts come in contact the brakes will be applied, and means for controlling the application ol' the brakes, where by they are lirst applied with partial force and then with full force; substantially as set forth. Y

In signal mechanism having a movable semaphore, a movable part connected with said semaphore and adapted to project when the signal is set to indicate danger, combined with a part projecting from a locomotive or car in the path ol' said movable part when in its operative position, mechanism whereby whenthe two parts come in contact the brakes will be applied, and means comprising a liquid checking-cylinder for controlling the application of the brakes, whereby they are lirst applied with partial `force and then with lull force; substantially as set forth.

In'signal mechanism having the movable semaphore, the contact-arm pivotally mounted on the post of same, and the link connect ing said arm and semaphore so that said parts may move in unison and said arm be projected laterally when the signal is set to indicate danger, combined with a part projecting from a locomotive or car in the path of said contact-arm when the latter is in its operative position, andmechanism to be set in motion by the contact of said part with said arm for applying the brakes; substantially as set forth.

4. In signal mechanism having the movable semaphore, a movable contact arm opera-v tively connected with said semaphore, combined with a member carried by the locomotive or ear and normally in the path of said IOO IIC

contact-arm When the signal is set to indicate danger, a rod normally supported by said member and left unsupported thereby When said member is turned from its normal position, and mechanism connected with said rod and to be set in motion therefrom for applying the brakes; substantially asset forth.

5. In signal mechanism having the movable semaphore, a movable contact arm operatively connected withv said semaphore, combined with a member carried by the locomotive or car and normally in the path of said contact-arm When the signal is set to indicate danger, a rod normally supported by said member and left unsupported thereby When said member is turned from its normal position, means for controlling the speed of movement of said rod, and mechanism connected danger, a rod normally supported by said member and left unsupported thereby When said member is turned from its norm al 'posi-` tion, means for enabling said rod'when released to have a rather quick motion fora part of its stroke and then a retardedmotion, and mechanism connected With said rod'and to be set in motion therefrom for applying the brakes; substantially as set forth.

7 In signal mechanism having the movable semaphore, a movable contact arm voperatively connected w'vith said semaphore, com-` bined 'with a lmember carried :by thel locomotive or car and normally in the path of said contact-arm When the signal is set to indicate danger, a rod normally supported by saidy 'member and left unsupported thereby When said member is turned from` its normal position, the piston connected'with s'aid rod, the cylinder receiving said piston and having the` by-pass for the liquid to be placedv in said cylinder and mechanism connected with said rod and to be set in motion therefrom for applying the brakes; substantially as set forth.

Si. A,In signal mechanismhaving the movable semaphore, a movable contact-aria operatively connected With said semaphore, combined With a member carried yby thelocomotive or car and normally in the path of said contact-arm When the signal is setto indicate danger, a rod normally supported by said' member and left unsupportedthereby when said member is turnedfromits normal position, the piston having a loose connection with said rod so as to allow the rod when released to have a limited movement regardless of said piston, the cylinder receiving said pistonV and having the by-pass for the liquid to' be placed 65 in said cylinder, andmechanism connected With said rod and to beset'in motion therefrom for applying the brakes; substantially as set forth:

9. In signal mechanism having the movable 7o semaphore, the movable' contact-arm connected With said semaphore landadapted to project laterally when the signal is set to indicate danger, combined With the 'pivoted latch member carried by the locomotive or car 7 5 in the path of said contact-arm when the latter is in its operative position, the operating-rod normally supported by said latch member and' left unsupported thereby when said member is turned from its normal position by striking 8o said contact-arm', and mechanism connected With said rod and to be set in motion therefrom for applying the brakes; substantially as set forth.

10. In signal mechanism having the mov- 85 able semaphore,the movablecontact-arm connected with "said semaphore' and adapted to projct laterally When the signal is set tonindicate danger, combined with the `pivoted latch member carried by the locomotive or car 9o in the path of said contact-arm When the latter `is in its operative position, the operating-rod normally supported by said latch member and I left unsupportedthereby When said member is turned from its normal position by striking j 9 5 l said contact-arm, means for controlling the" speed of movement of said rod, and mechanism connected'with said rod andlto be set inA motion therefrom for applying thebrakes; substantially ias set forth. 1l. In signalV mechanismhaving the movable semaphore, the pivoted arm connected with said semaphore and adapted to drop laterally with respect tov the path of a train and thus be caused to projectA when the signal is set to indicate danger, combined Witha part projecting from `the upper part of a loeomotive or car in the` path of said pivotedarm When the latter is in its operative positiomj and mechanism to be setin motion bythe contact roo' of said part With said arm for applying the.

brakes; substantially asl set forth.`

Signed at New York, in the" county of New York and State of NevvfYork, this I'Othday` vof February, D. l1903. 

